University Daze
by mentosmorii
Summary: A one-shot into the build-up to the science fair that resulted in Opal and Foaly's rivalry, and all the fall out thereof.


It took an awful lot more work than one would expect to be a _proper_ family disappointment.

When Sybil Koboi holo-phoned her daughter, Opal made sure to purposefully decline the call rather than simply let it go to her voice mail. During the weeks leading up to holiday breaks, Opal made it clear she would not be visiting any of her patrician classmates' estates. When her calculus professor had pulled her aside to discuss upcoming course selections, she'd been sure to make a show of letting her lip tremble pitifully when she remarked that her father was loath to let her continue her studies with the university.

On some level, Sybil and Ferrall were proud that their daughter was putting effort into tramping the family name through the mud. The Gro'och's heirs were dim, the Merrow's daughter was dull, and the Gancanagh son had dropped out of business school to partake in a Ph.D. program centered on studying historical human-fae relations — there was nothing unique about a rich family having a few oddball or disappointing heirs. These children were asked about in sympathetic tones during dinner parties and then promptly forgotten about a sentence or two into the update provided by the hosts.

Opal, however, was different.

It was not that she had ever failed to live up to expectations, rather, she had sloughed them off like a snake shedding its skin. She clawed herself a new path rather than letting herself get lost in the margins. Opal was a force of nature that had been just _barely_ tamed into the vague shape of a young woman, and her parents consoled themselves with the fact that even if they couldn't handle her, at least everyone else in their circle was just as lost when looking at the 'Opal problem' as they were.

However, neither money nor her reputation could change the fact that engineering majors had to take at least one humanities course before graduating. It was thus that she found herself watching Dr. Vito'tera enthusiastically waving a chalk-dusted hand at some poor first year that had offered him a pity question.

She should have taken the introduction to creative writing course, Opal rolled her eyes, lip curling. Reaching down to rifle through her messenger bag, she groped around for the feeling of paper. Eyes lighting up, she grinned as she successfully pulled out her flier she'd meticulously folded up and tucked away earlier.

Thumbing the paper open, she let her eyes trace over the beautiful writing on the page.

"'Daoine sídhe University is proud to present its coming annual science fair — internship positions available for the top three contestants'. You're applying?"

Opal blanched, shooting a look at the oblivious professor at the front of the room before whipping around to scowl at the smirking elf seated behind her.

_Short_. The _annoying _underclassman that seemed to trail after the centaur, Foaly, who appeared determined to alienate every single STEM major from ever wanting to work with him again after university.

"Piss off," Opal muttered, returning to her notes. "You're not even an engineering major."

Holly cocked her head, grin widening. "Yeah, I'm a criminal justice _major_, you're right. I'm an aeronautical engineering _minor_, though."

"You're a Freshman, alright? _Whatever_," Opal scoffed, turning back around.

The _only_ reason that she was still here in this lecture hall, Opal thought as she narrowed her eyes, mood darkening, was because her mother and father were marginally more annoying than her classmates.

"Holly, you shouldn't let Koboi imply that about you," Opal heard Foaly's nasal voice filter down to where she was sitting. "She's not better than we are just because she comes from _high society._"

"I didn't imply _anything_ about her," Opal grit her teeth, refusing to give Foaly the satisfaction of making her turn around. "I merely said that she was a Freshman."

"But that's kind of loaded, don't you think? There are layers, rhetorically speaking, to mentioning her year," Foaly continued, keeping his voice low so that Dr. Vito'tera wouldn't hear the trio.

"I _did_ feel that we were dealing with some implications when she mentioned I was a Freshman, to be honest, Foaly," Holly sighed, and Opal prayed that the elf wasn't ramping up to commit to a long-term bit with Foaly.

"There were _so_ many implications, Holly, I'm frankly a bit disgusted," Foaly chuckled. _Damn it._

Clenching her fists, Opal exhaled through her nose sharply. "If I wanted to _imply_ anything, I would have. Here, I'll imply something for you, _Foaly_: the only reason you took this class was to become even more of a _sophist _than you already are, _you contemptible man," _she turned to face the duo behind her, her lips drawn back slightly as to bare her teeth.

At her gaze, Foaly seemed to shrink in her chair slightly, his ears flicking embarrassedly. Holly stared at the two of them, blinking in confusion.

As the roaring of her pulse in her ears started to subside, Opal felt her cheeks begin to warm.

"He might've mentioned taking the class because he saw you'd signed—" Holly grinned, but Foaly spluttered in protest.

"Holly, stop — that's not true, by the way," he twittered, holding his hands up placatingly.

Opal sneered half-heartedly, trying to save whatever bit of dignity she could. "I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I'll be speaking to the professor if you two don't find somewhere else to sit for the rest of the semester."

Holly crossed her arms on top of her desk, her defined shoulder muscles visible as she shifted.

"I'm staying here," Holly announced, a tad cooly. "I don't want to sit in the front. You two can fight it out over which one of you gets to be my desk neighbor."

Rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time that class, Opal turned back to face the front of the room.

Hearing the creaking of someone leaning forward behind her, Opal forced herself to watch the board as the teacher wrote out the curriculum map for the class to copy down.

"Hey, Opal,"

Opal's frown lines deepened. "I don't want to talk to you, Foaly."

"About that, actually — you're making something for the science fair, right?"

Opal wordlessly gestured to the flier on her desk with her left hand.

"Okay, that was a pointless question, I'll admit it. I'm entering, too," Foaly remarked, tone trying just a bit _too_ hard to remain light.

"Good for you," Opal leaned backward in her chair, casting her eyes to the clock.

"So… how would you feel about making a deal?"

Eyes tracing the stuttering movement of the second hand, Opal sighed. "What do you propose?"

She could almost hear his grin.

"Great, great. Just some friendly competition, nothing extreme,"

"Entailing?"

"Loser drops this course,"

Opal inhaled sharply, eyes narrowing. "Interesting."

"I'm not going to drop the course, just as a heads up to you both," Holly added, and Opal heard the tapping of Short's pen as the other woman fiddled absentmindedly at her desk.

"I didn't ask you to," Foaly added quietly to his desk-mate, and Holly hummed in response.

Biting her lip, Opal imagined explaining to her parents that she was _dropping_ a course. They'd be livid — and not in a good way. She furrowed her brow. Losing this bet wasn't an option.

"Fine," Opal snapped. "But I hope you have a good second choice for your humanities credit."

"May the best faerie win," she heard Holly yawn.

"Nice! Do you want to, uh, shake on it?" Foaly trailed off, clearing his throat.

"No."

"Oh, okay."

Opal (_finally_) opened her notebook, ignoring any further attempts at conversation. This would be fine. She already had her plan for the fair. This was her forte — she didn't care what her parents, or career advisor, or even Foaly had to say about what they _thought_ her skills were, positive or negative. She _wanted_ this prize. Any other details were secondary.

* * *

A/N: I played a little bit loose with timelines, so the fact they're all in uni together could honestly make this an AU. Also, you know the 'dark academia' trope where you have some haunted undergraduate fervently attempting to hide their wretched secret? that undergraduate is Opal but the secret is like, that she's going to decide that murder 'Is Not Always That Morally Bad If It's People I Personally Dislike Right' once she hits (the faerie equivalent) of her early 30s.

Extra:

Foaly: Opal and I have history together, you just wouldn't understand :(

Holly: damn i thought this class was intro to ethics 100 lol


End file.
